Improvement in can-printing machines



v2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. R. NORRISS. Gan-Printing Machine. N0. 2l-O,552.-Patented Dec. 3,1878.

2 l ;2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. R. NORRISS. Gan-Printing Machine. No. 210,552. Patented Dec. 3,1878.

N PETERS. PMOTQ-LITHOGRAPMER, W .sMlNpToN. D10.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

\VILLIAM R. NORBISS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAN-PRINTING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 210,552, dated December3, 1878; application filed January 9, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM B. NORRISS, of Baltimore, in the county ofBaltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Chromatic (lan- Printing Machines; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This'invention relates to improvements in apparatus for printingchromatically upon the surface of cylindrical packages, such as tincans, round wooden boxes, china and glass jars, &c;, and thus dispensingwith the ordinary paper labels, which are liable to become soiled ordetached.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of thevarious devices forming parts of the apparatus for printing the labels,which will be hereinafter more fully described, and distinctly pointedout in the claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical section of the printing-machine. Fig. 3 is atop-plan view of the same with the sliding car and rollers removed.

Arepresents the frame of a painting-ma- .chine, which supports a seriesof inclined planes, at a, arranged one above the other, so as to inclinein opposite directions, and having openings 0 c for the passage of thecan or other package. B is a box placed at one end of the upper inclinedplane, and open at each end, in which the can to be painted is placed.The box B is covered at the top, and lined on the sides with sponge orother suitable porous material, I), which is saturated with paint,shellac, or japan colors. On being placed in this box, the packagebecomes covered with coloring-matter, which is evenly distributed by thebrushes 0 O 0 when the package rolls beneath them. As the colors usuallyemployed dry rapidly, the package, after passing through the openings 0c and traversing the lower inclined planes, will be ready to be printedupon; but this painting mechanism is not herein claimed.

D represents the frame of the printing-machine, which sustains themechanism for prin ting in colors the desired labels upon the can orother package after its surface has been coated with shellac or othersuitable priming, in'the manner above described. This mechanism consistsof a railway,'which supports a type-board, and upon which slides a caror box containing suitable inking and distributing rollers, and havingattached to it devices for grasping and holding the can while beingprinted upon.

Other devices are arranged to release the can after the operation isfinished, when it rolls down an inclined plane beneath the machine,ready for market.

The can or other cylindrical package to be printed upon, after receivinga preparatory coating of shellac, varnish, orjapan colors, as beforedescribed, is placed upon the canholder (1, and the machine put inmotion by power transmitted through the crank-shaft e and wheel E, whichis connected by the pitman 0 with a fixed bar or arm, f, on the slidingcar F. This car contains a box, Gr, within which are arranged theinking-rollers g g g. The distributingrollers and color-plates g g arearranged within the car F, above the inkingrollers, upon shafts, eachhaving a pawl and ratchet, t z, to regulate its motion.

An adjustablespring-clamp, H, is attached to the forward end of the carF, having revolving disks h h, guides at m, and springs l I. When thecar F moves forward upon the outer railway, R, the guides at m pass onthe outer sides of the adjustable cams K K until the cams are passed,when the springs l I force the disks h h toward each other.

The wheels on the ends of the forward inkin g-rollers 9 roll over theinner railway, R, and over the cams K K, which fall when the weight ofthe car is removed from their backward-pro jectin g levers or arms 707c. 7

After passing the cams the ends of the forward rollers strike theprojections n n imme diately in front of the cams, and the box isthereby raised, so that the forward rollers will pass clear of the reargum type, M, which is to receive a different color, without touching it.The rear inking-rollers, being shorter than the forward ones, passinside of the lugs or pro jections a a without touching them, and inthis way the forward and rear inking-rollers, bearing differentcoloring-matter, deposit their appropriate colors upon the type M and M,respectively, without admixture. As the car continues to moveforward,the guides m on strike the rear ends of the spring fenders or guides LL. These fenders or guides L L, being placed in an oblique position,force the guides on an outward, and thus draw open the revolving disks h71, which are secured upon the same shaft or spindle with the guides mm. On reaching the forward ends of the fenders L L, and their resistancebeing removed from the guides in m, the disks h h are forced inward bythe elasticity of the springs l l on the inner sides of the adjustableclamp H, so as to grasp the can which rests upon the holder (7. Afterthe disks have picked up the can the car returns, and in passing overthe typeboard the disks h h, which hold the can, revolve, so as to bringthe sides of the can in contact with the type M M in such a manner as toreceive the desired impression. Upon reaching the cams K K the guides mm strike upon the beveled ends of the cams, and, being thus forced uponthe outer sides of the latter, pull open the disks h h and drop the can,which is now printed, upon the inclined plane N, beneath the box, whenceit rolls into any suitahlc receptacle. In returning, the guides m magain pass upon the outer sides of the adjustable cams K K, which riseby the weight of the car pressing upon their backward-projecting leversor arms is 7., and fall again when this weight is removed, so that theextended ends of the forward inking-rollers g may pass over them withoutobstruction.

Instead of employing the-cams K K in the manner above described, theymay be made longer and rigidly attached to the tops of the outer rails,R, the levers 75 k in this case being dispensed with, and the adjustableclamp H made flare with the sides of the ear 1".

By the use of additional sets of rollers and type, it will be apparentthat a great variety of colors may be employed in printingrepresentations of fruit, flowers, 850., upon cans and other similarpackages. This, however, will neeessitatea slight enlargementof themachine, and the employment of a separate pair of rails for each set ofrollers.

The improved apparatus herein described, for printing chromatically uponcylindrical packages, possesses several important'and obvious advantagesin its more perfectly registerin g the labels printed, while doing thework in a neat and expeditious manner. It can also be adapted, by meansof the adjustable clamp and attached devices, to the various sizes ofcans employed in the packing business.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters latent, is-

1. The chromatic can printing machine herein described, consisting ofthe supporting frame D, railways R R, and inclined plane N, incombination with the type board H M, can-holder (1, guides L L, cams KK, and slidin g car F, with clamp 11, substantially as specified.

2. The adjustable clamp H, having guides m m, revolving disks h h, andsprings I 1., in combination with the cams K K and springguides L L,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature, this 29th dayof December, 1877, in presence of two witnesses.

XVILLIAM It. NORRISS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES l. nus'rnu, A. R. BRowN.

